The Women and Women’s Safety Ministerial Council (Council) was convened virtually today, attended by:
- The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP (Commonwealth)
- The Hon Justine Elliot MP (Commonwealth)
- Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Commonwealth)
- Ms Yvette Berry MLA (Australian Capital Territory)
- The Hon Yvette D’Ath MP (Queensland)
- The Hon Jodie Harrison MP (New South Wales)
- The Hon Kate Worden MLA (Northern Territory)
- The Hon Ngaree Ah Kit MLA (Northern Territory)
- The Hon Katrine Hildyard MP (South Australia)
- The Hon Jo Palmer MLC (Tasmania)
- Ms Vicki Ward MP (Victoria)
The Hon Shannon Fentiman (Queensland), the Hon Natalie Hutchins (Victoria), the Hon Sabine Winton MLA (Western Australia) and the Hon Sue Ellery (Western Australia) gave their apologies. Minister Fentiman, Minister Ellery and Minister Winton were represented by an official.
Ministers acknowledged the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW) on 25 November 2023 and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, reflecting upon this year’s theme of Investing in Prevention. IDEVAW aims to raise awareness around the world that women are subjected to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence.
Ministers acknowledged that women and children continue to be killed as result of family and domestic violence in Australia, and this year’s theme, prevention, is critical to ending violence. Ministers reflected on the lives of women lost due to violence, both in tragedies this week and in the past. Ministers noted the achievements of launching the Action Plans and Outcomes Framework in the first year of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32 (National Plan), and further acknowledged the need for ongoing efforts to implement these plans to achieve our goal of ending violence within a generation.
The Council also discussed data, monitoring and evaluation of the National Plan, including ways to collect and represent data on intimate partner homicide, and were provided an update by the national Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin.
Minister Rishworth provided an update on women’s safety matters, including the Department of Education’s work under the Universities Accord reforms. Assistant Minister Elliot provided an update on the Online Harms Ministers Meeting.
All states and territories shared high-level updates with the Council on the work underway in their jurisdictions to advance gender equality and address violence against women and children.
Data, monitoring and evaluation of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32
Minister Rishworth provided an update on the Commonwealth’s work to finalise the Performance Measurement Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 (National Plan). The Performance Measurement Plan will highlight the need for governments to work together on family, domestic and sexual violence data collection.
Minister Rishworth noted the importance of accurate data to track, monitor and report change over the life of the National Plan.Ministers noted and emphasised the importance of the joint commitment across governments to progress Action 2 of the First Action Plan 2023-2027 which commits governments to improve the national evidence base by working towards consistent terminology and monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and by strengthening collection and sharing of data and evidence.
Ministers agreed in principle to providing available data to report progress on the indicators and measures of the Performance Measurement Plan once finalised by the Council. Ministers also agreed in principle to providing data for the Prototype National Family and Domestic Violence Specialist Services data collection project led by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), as it develops further.
Ministers further agreed to work together to finalise and endorse the Performance Measurement Plan of the National Plan out of session in early 2024.
Minister Rishworth shared the launch of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) new comprehensive AIHW family, domestic and sexual violence website.
Intimate Partner Homicide Dashboard
The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) provided a briefing to Ministers on ways to collect and represent data on intimate partner homicide nationally. This dashboard could be used to report in a more timely way against target 1 of the Outcomes Framework for a 25 per cent reduction per year in female victims of intimate partner homicide. Ministers noted the AIC update and also noted the need for other data activity to have an increased focus on perpetrator data.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission
The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin, provided an update on the Commission’s activities during its first twelve months of operation, noting the establishment of the Lived Experience Advisory Council and the co-convening of National Roundtables on Measuring the impact of the National Plan, Young People, and Men and healthy masculinity.
The Commissioner also updated the Council on the Interim Statement she is required to provide to Parliament, which will contain an overview of the work of the Commission in its first year, a preliminary reflection on progress towards the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, and an outline of the Commission’s Yearly Report to Parliament, that will be provided following the one year anniversary of the release of the First Action Plan and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan.